10 Beers To Try At Your Next Football Watch Party

Chad Polenz is best known for his popular beer website chadzbeerreviews.com and his column with the Albany Times-Union. He is an avid home brewer, and has visited dozens of breweries all over the world. He is the author of the most definitive guide to dark brews on the market, The Handbook Of Porter’s & Stouts, out now from Cider Mill Press and available wherever books are sold.

Looking for a playoff caliber line-up of beer recommendations for your game night gatherings? Score every time with this definitive list of porters and stouts. You won’t ever find yourself third-and-long with one of these in hand!

For the perfect brew to pair with your finger food, try a Morke Pumpernickel Porter, or a Santa Fe Imperial Java Stout. The Czar Imperial Stout is a good strong brew for either celebrating or lamenting the end of a game, and Boulevard Bully Porters and Founders Porters are perfect for enjoying throughout the action, from start to finish.

A full list of our top ten recommendations is below—each one is a touchdown!

The taste is heavy on roasted malt and mocha, pleasantly balanced by the bitter bite of hops.

Photo Credit: Josh Christie

Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro
The Handbook of Porters and Stouts, p.373

The stout has brown sugar, coffee, and a hint of vanilla on the nose and the same elements on the palate. It’s the love child of a stout and a latte with 6% ABV.

Photo Credit: Josh Christie

Allagash Black
The Handbook of Porters and Stouts, p.422

The flavor is a complex trip, starting with coffee up front before coming around to a mocha finish. The oats used in the recipe provide a silky smoothness not unlike an oatmeal stout.

Photo Courtesy of the Casper White Brewery

Casper White Stout
The Handbook of Porters and Stouts, p.425

The nose is butterscotch, white chocolate, vanilla cake, caramel, graham cracker, and shortbread. Full-bodied for such a lightly-colored ale, it has a nice, peppery finish. A hint of sweetness is balanced by a nice addition of hops.

Chad Polenz is best known for his popular beer website chadzbeerreviews.com and his column with the Albany Times-Union. He is an avid home brewer, and has visited dozens of breweries all over the world. He is the author of the most definitive guide to dark brews on the market, The Handbook Of Porter’s & Stouts, out now from Cider Mill Press and available wherever books are sold.